EA opens beta of free-to-play Command & Conquer MMO

Electronic Arts has announced that its upcoming free-to-play game Command & Conquer Tiberium Alliances is now in open beta. This latest entry in the company's Play4Free portfolio is a browser-based MMO based on the popular Command & Conquer franchise. Developed by EA Phenomic, the game is currently only playable on desktops, but will add cross-platform play with mobile devices soon as well as cloud-saved data.

According to EA, players will "harvest valuable resources, foster strategic alliances and engage in relentless battles as they strive for world domination." The game will have in-game news, status feeds and updates to keep you coming back for more, and of course, in-game purchases for faster unit upgrades and such.

Command & Conquer is one of the longest-running strategy game franchises, launched way back in 1995. The latest release marks the first time the series has seen either a free-to-play or MMO adaptation, so the classic gameplay experience has naturally changed more than just a bit in the browser-based version of the game.

You can sign up for the open beta here. If you are a longtime fan of the franchise and can't bear the casual gaming approach EA is taking for the latest installment, fret not, there might be some good news on the horizon. BioWare is resurrecting a branch of the Command & Conquer franchise with the release of Command & Conquer Generals 2 sometime in 2013. The game will be a PC exclusive based on the Frostbite 2 engine.